


Day of Honor- Episode Addition

by ninjamonkey73



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s04e03 Day of Honor, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22282849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninjamonkey73/pseuds/ninjamonkey73
Summary: She had done it, all right. Life as she knew it was over. She had just told Tom Paris that she loved him!
Relationships: Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Kudos: 15





	Day of Honor- Episode Addition

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 1997.
> 
> [The Star Trek universe belongs to Paramount Pictures. This take on that universe belongs to me.]

B'Elanna Torres had done it. She had finally stopped lying to herself and to Tom about her feelings for him. A small fraction of her honor had been restored mere seconds from death. Had her EVA suit not just run out of oxygen, she would have taken a deep breath and sighed contentedly. Nearly unconscious, she closed her eyes and waited patiently for what lay beyond life as she knew it.

There are certain things that no decent engineer, no matter how close to death, could mistake. Torres, being a first-rate engineer, noticed three things from the very edge of consciousness. The first was the transporter effect. The second was the ever-so-subtle vibration of a warp core- her warp core- beneath her. Any fool would have noticed the return of gravity. Having been beamed directly to Sickbay, she saw the doctor reach for her helmet through the haze of oxygen deprivation. In the final seconds before Voyager's oxygen flooded her lungs and caused her to black out, B'Elanna Torres realized what she had just confessed to Tom Paris.

She had done it, all right. Life as she knew it was over. She had just told Tom Paris that she loved him! How long would it be before the whole ship was laughing about it? A near-death confession and a vulnerable moment had led to the end of life as she had once vaguely enjoyed it onboard Voyager. She went willingly into unconsciousness dreading ever waking up again, and the dream quickly overtook her.

_The setting sun was more orange than red but she still found herself thinking about his uniform's command coloration. B'Elanna wandered along the sea's edge savoring the feel of the light ocean breeze through the gauzy linen pants suit she wore. Her shoes were left some time back to allow her toes some freedom. The sharp cry of a gull turned her back toward where she had come from and she was startled to see Voyager on its landing struts a few hundred feet from the water's edge, her footprints leading away from the ship. Even more surprising to her was the second set of footprints next to her own- footprints that appeared to be ownerless. She scanned up and down the beach with a hand above her eyes to fend off the glare, but saw no one. Looking down at the large footprints that merely ended beside her, she took a step and immediately stopped as a new set of marks appeared next to her._

_"Who's there?" No answer came back, save for another cry from the gull behind her. She looked around once more and decided to continue walking to observe the appearance of the strange tracks in the sand._ What I wouldn't give for a tricorder right now _, B'Elanna thought to herself._

_Several minutes passed. For each step she took, a new footprint appeared alongside her own. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her and she stopped, reaching toward the empty air above the phantom footprints. When her seeking hands met resistance, B'Elanna jumped back. Cloth. The soft/firm combination of humanoid skin and bones beneath. No trace of anyone there to the naked eye, and yet her hands still tingled from brushing against the unseen cloth._

_Kes' voice in her right ear brought her around suddenly. "It's funny, isn't it?"_

_"Kes?" B'Elanna eyed the smoky shimmer that hovered near her. She could make out Kes' features although she could still see Voyager fairly clearly through them. The sand beneath the apparition was undisturbed._

_Kes' soothing alto resonated in the air around B'Elanna as she continued. "Life, I mean. Isn't it funny how we sometimes find ourselves places we never thought we'd be? Look at me, for instance. I have become so much more than I was when I came aboard Voyager. And so have you."_

_B'Elanna laughed. "No comparison."_

_"That's not so. You do yourself a great disservice, B'Elanna. I had far less to overcome to become what I am now than you did to become who you now are."_

_"I still see no basis for comparison. You've developed the power to see beyond what others can see. You gave yourself up to it and your entire existence changed." Torres looked out over the waves, crossing her arms in front of her._

_"It isn't so different for you. Our circumstances may be different, but you too have the power to see beyond what others see. If you just listen to your heart, your whole existence could change, too."_

_B'Elanna turned back to find the apparition drifting slowly back toward Voyager. "Kes, wait. I don't understand. I could become what you are?"_

_"No, B'Elanna, you have within you so much more possibility than I do. So much more life to live." The salty sea breeze gusted slightly and the fog began to dissipate, Kes' voice becoming more far off. "Be true to yourself, B'Elanna. Always."_

_B'Elanna closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to process Kes' meaning. As she opened her eyes, she again caught sight of the tracks beside her own in the sand. "Please, Kes, don't go. I don't know what you mean by all of this. What do these extra footprints on the beach have to do with any of this?"_

_Kes smiled, her form nearly solidifying for a brief moment. "You really don't know, do you? A part of you still fears making this journey on your own and yet you haven't been alone for quite some time now. The truth is in your heart. Trust it."_

_"Trust what? I still don't see what these tracks represent!"_

_As Kes slowly faded to nothing, B'Elanna heard her chuckle softly, her last words drifting through the crisp sea air. "I know. But soon enough, you will. Face your fear. That which you seek has been right within your grasp all along, B'Elanna."_

_Alone once again. Almost. The empty prints beside her still begging for an explanation, B'Elanna tentatively reached out to reaffirm the unseen presence. This time, when her hands met the feel of cloth, she left them there, noting the steady, subtle rise and fall beneath them, as well as the faint sensation of a heartbeat. A heartbeat that sped up the longer her hands lingered. She ran her hands along the invisible opposition at shoulder height and noted the rise and fall pick up tempo as well, right before she felt arms she could not see slide around her. Deep down, she knew not to pull away, but a part of her was afraid of what she could not see. She could feel her fight-or-flight instinct start to overwhelm her milliseconds before an unseen hand lifted her chin, and invisible lips brushed hers._

_"B'Elanna." Warm, moist, the soft whisper of a breath on her cheek. Flight was no longer a thought. Fight was even less of an option as she followed her instinctive need to latch onto the presence before her and give in to its gentle urging. Seeking lips she could not see, B'Elanna closed her eyes and ran her hands around the back of the force that held her. Her lips found their destination soon enough and in a flash of inspiration she knew._

"Tom...." The sound of her voice in the silence snapped her back to reality.

"Oh, good, Lieutenant. You're awake." The doctor smiled down on her, hypospray in hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Light-headed. Did I...." She couldn't bring herself to finish the question as she became more aware of her surroundings. Chakotay and the Captain stood nearby, looking on. She could only hope she hadn't been speaking out loud. Or... making any other sounds, for that matter. The sensation of the specter's lips on her own still lingered, and she failed to reign in the blush that rose to her cheeks at the memory.

The doctor, however, was oblivious it seemed. "Your color seems to be returning. Once the lightheadedness passes, I see no reason to keep you here."

Upon hearing it, B'Elanna willed herself to her feet, glancing only briefly at Tom's unconscious form on the biobed behind the doctor. Summoning all the strength she had to remain upright, Torres avoided Chakotay and Janeway's questioning looks and made her way to the door. "Thank you, doctor. I'll be in my quarters."

Three days passed. She had been very successful at both avoiding Tom and dodging the questions of her curious crewmates. None of them seemed to know anything more than the shuttle's loss and her and Tom's near-death as their oxygen ran out. If Tom was talking, the crew covered well, which in and of itself would have been remarkable. Added to that, his reaction to her not taking back what she said when he finally cornered her had left her stunned, to say the least. Maybe he wasn’t such a pig after all.

"I know you probably didn’t… mean it," he had said. Kes’ words to her to remain true to herself had surely led to her to assure him she meant it, even as she tried to give him the option of forgetting she had ever said anything.

Their kiss had been electric, diametrically different from when she had forced herself on him when the Pon Farr raged through her veins. The desire that rose in her was deeper than the primal fire she had felt for him before. The few seconds they had before the doctor interrupted were enough for her to realize his kiss said far more than his confessing his love ever could have. Surely, Thomas Eugene Paris, intergalactic man-about-town, had confessed his love to scores of women to get what he wanted from them. Acting on his feelings, rather than voicing them said so much more about his respect for her, B’Elanna surmised as she tried to stay her raging heart on the long walk to Engineering. By the time she got there, she had managed to regain some control of herself, but she wished she could remove the wide, stupid grin from her face as the doors to her department slid open.

That night, she sat staring at the chronometer, playing back the scene in sickbay that had taken place only a couple of hours earlier. Her second near death experience in only three days. Perhaps that was enough of an explanation for why she had so openly come on to Tom in front of the doctor. At least he was only a hologram. If she thought he might talk, she could erase a small portion of his memory of their return from the clutches of his unstable alien counterpart.

"Are you sure your heart can take it?"

Had the doctor not reminded her of his presence with his sarcastic attempt at humor, Kahless only knows what she might have said to Tom in reply. So now she sat waiting for him, anticipating his arrival with such a taut feeling of anxiety, she thought for sure she would go mad before he arrived. Too much time to think. They would have an unbearably long trip ahead of them if things didn’t work out. Still, she couldn’t help but remember her dream upon returning to Voyager mere days ago, from the edge of death. The image of Kes had been insistent. ‘Follow your heart.’

The door chime snapped her back to reality. "Come in." B’Elanna fought the urge to jump to her feet.

Tom stepped awkwardly through the parting doors to B’Elanna’s quarters. Obviously, he too felt anxious about the sudden change in their relationship. "Harry’s doing better," Tom began.

"That’s good… Does his impending breakdown have anything to do with that… Borg?" She nearly spat the last word.

"He can take care of himself. And anyway, I’m looking out for his best interests." Tom shifted his weight from one foot to the other, still standing only a meter from the door.

"You CAN make yourself at home, you know. Nothing ever stopped you before." B’Elanna tapped the seat of the couch next to her. "Tell me all about what Starfleet has gotten himself into."

By the time they had completely analyzed Harry’s life aboard Voyager, some of the nervous tension between them had abated. As they segued into B’Elanna’s recounting of the alien hologram’s murderous misdeeds and his attempt on her life, she had settled comfortably back against Tom’s chest, only half realizing she had done so. An easy silence followed, during which B’Elanna savored the feel of his arms around her, his heart beating in her ear. She had forced herself into solitude for far too long.

Absentmindedly running a hand back and forth over Tom’s arm that lay across her stomach, B’Elanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, completely relaxing into his arms as she slowly exhaled. The silence continued; neither wanted to spoil the feeling of… being home… that washed over them. Before long, their breathing had fallen into synch and both were acutely aware of every point of contact between them. B’Elanna could feel the moist warmth of Tom’s breath on her ear and neck. Her hand on his arm became less absentminded and more forceful, picking up slightly in both speed and pressure. When Tom’s lips finally brushed the very edge of her ear, she could not contain the soft moan that escaped her. Tom’s response was immediate. He trailed kisses up and down the edge of her ear, neck, and jaw, allowing his previously stationary hands to begin a slow exploration of her body.

She used every ounce of willpower she had to remain still and merely enjoy his ministrations. Although she had tried to make light of their tangle on the Sakari homeworld when she was caught up in the throes of the mating urge, she now realized that the Klingon in her had taken the events very seriously. Back in the caverns, she had not allowed him to finish saying what he thought a bite on the face might mean. As his lips grazed her earlobe, she knew without a doubt what that bite now meant. Remembering the salty, metallic taste of his blood, she knew that one act had forever marked him as her intended mate. And the moment had finally arrived.

Willpower forgotten, she stood and pulled Tom to his feet, encircling him in her arms. Struggling with her Klingon urge to bite him again, B’Elanna grabbed the sides of his face a bit harder than she intended, causing her to hesitate a moment. The last thing she wanted to do was "go Klingon" on him and scare him off for good. She ventured an embarrassed look into his eyes and found no fear there. On the contrary, his face was flushed with desire and his eyes flashed mischievously as they locked with hers. Eyes the blue of her warp core drew her in and she fell willingly. Without any warning, Tom’s hands swiftly came up to grasp her face just as firmly as she had held his. They stood staring into each other’s eyes, each cradling the other’s face roughly in both hands, for mere seconds, noses centimeters apart. The kiss that followed was more intense than B’Elanna had ever dared to imagine. He fed the animal, Klingon desire in her and seemed to feed off of it himself, roughly dragging her into a tighter, more frantic embrace. It felt as if his hands were everywhere at once, her shoulders, her face, her hair, her back. Without a second thought, she pulled at the zipper on his uniform and had it pushed down to his elbows before he broke away, struggling to catch his breath.

"B’Elanna, wait." Tom pulled his jumpsuit back up over his shoulders and ran his hands down his reddened face. As he zipped his suit back up, he mumbled, "Why couldn’t this have happened BEFORE I developed a conscience?"

"What are you talking about?" B’Elanna snapped at him before she could rein in her raging emotions. In the few seconds that had passed since their heated exchange, she had become convinced she had done something wrong, or that he was simply just not interested in her, or that he had been using her…

Tom could read her insecurity on her face and immediately took her back into his arms, stroking her face gently with one hand, while the other rested on her hip. "Don’t go jumping to conclusions on me now, B’Elanna. Things are just moving a little too quickly for me. This is all so sudden."

"Sudden? You’ve been chasing after me for three years! You call that sudden?"

"Ah, but you weren’t interested until just recently. I don’t want to mess this up being impatient. I’ve waited three years. I can wait a little longer." Tom placed a kiss on each ridge of her forehead and smiled at her as he stepped away. "Goodnight, B’Elanna."

"Wait a minute! You are NOT going to play the gentleman, Tom Paris! Oh, no! Where is the fabled ladies man, the pig I’m come to know and love? Hmm? There’s no point in putting this off any longer. It’s been a long three years. I don’t have any doubts. Do you?"

"Oh, no. No doubts whatsoever. But that isn’t why I’m going to take my exit right now. As much as you like to pretend that your Klingon heritage means nothing to you, I know that your mother tried very hard to raise you Klingon. I know what my staying here with you tonight would mean according to Klingon custom. We haven’t actually even tried dating yet, so I don’t think I want to rush to the engagement, if you get my drift."

B’Elanna laughed softly and crossed to where Tom stood by the door. Reaching up to gently pull his head down to her own, she whispered, "I’d never hold you to those ridiculous customs, Tom. Don’t go. Please."

She kissed him slowly, thoroughly, memorizing the taste of him, persuading with every press of her body against his, every caress of her hands. Tom tried to focus on what was happening and yet separate himself from the physical sensations that assaulted him. This was B’Elanna. B’Elanna Torres. She had fought off his advances for months and now she was doing a tremendous job of convincing him to stay with her. Like he really needed any convincing! Ever since he had been privileged enough to meet her Klingon and human sides separately, courtesy of the Vidiians, he had been more than attracted to her. That day had marked the start of their friendship, which had come to mean more to him than any sexual conquest would. Or so he tried to remind himself as she began to pull him toward her bedroom.

He gently resisted any further movement when they reached the doorway to her room. "I know how crazy this must sound, but you’ll thank me for it later."

She batted at his chest playfully, clearly frustrated but not as insecure as she had been before. "You would have to go and develop a conscience, wouldn’t you? There’s nothing I can do to change your mind?" Her hand slid to his rear and pulled him closer.

He coughed and shut his eyes tightly for a moment. "I want to do this relationship thing right for once. Even if you weren’t part Klingon, I’d do things the same. First, we date, then we… Well, you know… Of course, that doesn’t preclude a little healthy fooling around."

She smiled and stood on her toes to lean closer to his ear. "There’s the Tom Paris I’ve known all these years. You better be worth all this frustration."

He kissed her, drawing her lower lip between his teeth for a moment. "Oh, I guarantee it. I guarantee it," he laughed.


End file.
